Belt-driven elevator.



PATBNTEDocT.6,19os.

C. E. v'IQRBuLIT(315,1. BELT' DRIVBN ELEVATOR.

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PATENTED 00T. 6, 1903. C. E. TORRANGR BELT DRIVBN ELEVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED o oT.17. 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTE!) 00T. a. 1903.

c. E. TGREANGE.

BELT DEIVENELEVATOE.

l APPLICATION FILED 001217, 1902.

5 SHEET SHEET 5.

Y rte. 740,784.

UNITED STATS Patented october c, reos.

#PATENT innen.

BELTLDR'n/EN ELEVATOR.

.SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 740,784, dated October 6, 1903.

Application tiled October 17, 1902- Serial No. 127,701. (No model.) x

To all whom, t #my concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. TORRANGE,

of Northampton, in the county of HampshireI and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt- Drivenl Elevators, of which the 'following is a:

speciiica'tion.

This invention relates to elevator mechanism of that type which directly utilizes power .y Such mechanisms have'` from a driven belt. usually heretofore been only manually controlled-that is, the stopping of the car has usually been eiected only by the condutor through the medium of the controller-rope or? its equivalent and of course the usual automatic means for moving the controller-rope' at theend of the trip of the car and the ordi.

nary speed-controlling devices.

The object of the present invention is toprovide means whereby the Apower will be automatically cut olf if the car at any part of its downward trip meets an obstruction, such as a closed hatch-door.

A further object of the invention is to pro-A the construction and combinations of parts,

substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings do not illus-` trate a Vcar or platform or the Well or guides. for such car, as these may be of any Well-y sents a plan view of the same. 'sents a section on line 3 3 ot Fig. 1. represents a detail section on line 4 4 of Fig.

1 In the drawings, Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a complete apparatus em- `bodyingthe invention secured to suitable overhead supporting-beams. Fig. 2'repre- Fig. 3 repre- Fig. 4

2. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged section on 6o line 5 5 of Fig. 4.` Fig. represents an enlarged section through one of the belt or driving pulleys and its clutch mechanism on the same line of section as that on which Fig. 4 is drawn. enlarged, looking in the direction of the arro W 7 in Fig. 1. Fig. S represents an enlarged section on line 8 S of Fig.'2. Figs. 9 and 10 represent detail elevations of the drum look- Fig. 7 represents a side elevation, 65

ingfrom opposite points, the drum-shaft be- 7o Fig. 15 representsasection on line 16 16 8o Fig. 13 represents an enlarged de- 75` tion on line 17 17 of Figs. 13 and 14. Fig. 17"` 'represents a detail elevation and part section on the line 18 1S of Fig. 13. Fig. 18 represents a detail perspective View of the means parts throughout all the views.

The frame of the mechanism comprises an 9o adjacent parts of the members 2O and 23 of loo the frame provide a bearing, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, for the drum-shaft 27. Said shaft projects in both directions from said bearing, and the end beyond the drum is supported in a bearing at the lower end of a hanger 28, which is adapted to be supported in the same manner as the frame 20.

The drum 29 for the elevator-cables is loosely supported on the shaft 27. Said drum has two hubs, from which two sets of spokes or arms 30 radiate to the cylindrical portion of the drum. (See Figs. 3, 8,9, and 10.) The smaller hub 3l tits directly, but loosely, upon the shaft, while the larger hub 32 lits loosely on a-hub 33, fast on the shaft, said hub having oppositely-extending arms 34. The sides of the outer ends of the arms 34 are adapted to engage the sides of lugs 35, integral with or attached totheinner wall of the drum. Therefore when the shaft is rotated in the direction to cause the arms 34 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow a, in Fig. 9 the drum will be positively rotated in that direction. Further details of the parts immediately coacting with parts of the drum will be hereinafter described.

Located within the hollow frame and fast upon the shaft 27 is a worm-gear 36, meshing with and driven by a worm-thread 37 on a shaft 38, said shaft 38 being supported in bearings 39 40, carried by the lower frame-casting 23, (see Fig. 4,) and in a bearing 4l at the end ofthe frame-arm 22. Loosely mounted on the shaft 38 are two belt wheels or pulleys 42 and 43, which are continuously rotated in opposite directions, as by power-driven belts, (not shown,) oneof which may beacrossed belt.. Of these the pulley 42 may be supposed to be the one which when clutched to the shaft will cause the car to be lowered and the pulley7 43 the one to effect the elevation of the car. The two clutch mechanisms are alike, and in Figs. 5 and 6 l have illustrated a preferred form. Each pulley is formed with an internal chatnber, the circular wall 44 of which is adapted to be frictionally engaged by shoes 45, carried by levers 46, pivotally seated at 47 in recesses in a hub 48, fast on the shaft 38. The

' ends of the levers 46 are connected with radial pins 49, which pass through apertures in the hub 43 and into the shaft 3S, springs 50 being connected to the levers and to the hub todraw the pins inward. of each lever is such that the tendency of the spring is to draw the shoe away from the wall 44; but when the two pins of either pulley are thrust outward they cause the shoes of the levers to frictionally engage the wall 44, so that the rotation of the pulley causes the hub 48 and the shaft to which it is secured to rotate with said pulley.

The clutches of the two pulleys 42 and 43 can only be operated alternately, so that only one pulley at a time can be connected to d rive the shaft. Provision is also made whereby both pulleys may remain disconnected. This mechanism will now be described.

The worm-shaft 33 is hollow and contains a rod 51, which is cut away or fiattened at 52 for a distance slightly exceeding the space between the pins 49 of the two pulleys, the

'lhe construction ends of the flat portion terminating in inclined or cam faces adapted to act (when the rod 5l is moved longitudinally) on the inner ends of the two pins 49 of either pulley to thrust them apart against the tension of springs 50, so as to clutch that particular pulley to the shaft. The end of the rod 5l which projects from the end of shaft 38 beyond the bearing 4l is provided with an enlargement 53, loosely mounted thereon and having pins 54, which are engaged by a fork at one end of a lever 55, pivoted at 56 to a projection of the framearm 22. By means of this construction rod 5l is free to rotate and yet be capable of reciprocation by lever 55. The other end of the lever 55 is pivotally connected with one end of a link 57, (see Figs.` 2 and 3,) the other end of which is pivotally connected to an ear 58, attached, as by bolts 59, (see Figs. l, 7, 8, 13, and 14,) to the wheel 60, which surrounds and is carried by a yoke 6l, loosely mounted on the drum-shaft 27. lThe yoke 6l is formed with lugs 62, to which the wheel 60 is secured by bolts 63. (See Fig. 13.) Said yoke and wheel together form practically a controllerwheel having a hollow hub containing mechanism which will presently be described. A controller-rope (not shown) passes around the wheel 60 and will be arranged, as usual, for manual control by the conductor in the ele- Vator-car.

From the description so far given it will be understood that manual operation of the wheel 60 will, through the link 57 and lever 55, shift the rod 5l in the worm-shaft 3S so as to cause the cams at either end of the flat portion 52 to part the pins 49 of one of the driving-pulleys and clutch that pulley to the shaft and through the worm 37, gear 36, and shaft 27 rotate the arms 34 and cause or permit the rotation of the elevator winding-drum 29. The direction in which the rod 5l is moved controls the direction of movement of the Winding-drum and car, since the fiat portion 52 of the rod must permit the release of one clutch when the other is engaged. Said [iat portion is of such length, however, as has been stated, as will permit the rod to be given an intermediate position with both clutches released.

The brake mechanism for stopping the shaft 3S and the car when both ofthe pulleys 42 43 are unclutched will now be described. This mechanism is substantially the same in construction as that of the clutch which has been described. Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the frame-casting 23 outside of the bearing 39 is formed with a chamber 64, closed by a cap 65, which is removable to per mit ready access to the brake. Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured on the end of the shaft 38 within thechamber 64 is a hub 66, similar tothehub48. (Shown in Fig. 5.) The brake-levers 67 have shoes adapted to frictionally engage the inner wall 68 of the chamber 64 in the same manner that the shoes 45 of the levers 46 in Fig. 5 engage the wall 44 IOC IIO

of the pulley 43. So also the brake-levers are thrust outward by pins69, mounted in radial apertures inthe hub 66. In fact, the details of the brake are substan tially the same as of the clutch, with the exception that the shoes of the brake engage a xed circular Wall of the frame-casing instead of a wall of a pulley.

The inner ends of the brake-lever pins 69 bear against two slide-rods 70, fitted in apertures extending through the hub 66, parallel with the shaft 33, and said rods 70 are connected to the rod 5l to be moved therewith by means of across-bar 7l. Each rod 70 has two recesses separated by an intermediate high portion, which for convenience I will herein call a cam. The recesses and cams of the two rods 70 are so spaced and arranged.

that when either pulley 42 or 43 is clutched to the shaft 3S the inner ends of the pins 69 are received in recesses of the slides 70; but when the rod 5l is moved to such position that neither of thepulleys is clutched to the shaft then the cams or intermediate portions ofthe slides 70 thrust the pins 69 outward and apply the brake in a manner that will be readily understood.

In Fig. 4 it will be observed that the wormthreaded portion of the shaft is provided with enlargements 72. These support end thrust of the worm against the bearings or bushings 39 40. The apertures in the casing 23 are such that the shaft andthe bushings can readily be installed through the chamber 64 when the cap 65 is removed. End thrust againstthe bushing 40 is resisted byacollar,suchasshown at 73, secured to the casing 23 by bolts 74. The bushing 39 is shown as provided with an integral annular disk 75, which is clamped to the inside of chamber 64 by bolts 76, whereby end thrust of the worm against the bushing 39 is resisted.

The space within the casing 23 is, designed to be filled with oil, so that the gearing therein will be thoroughly lubricated. Escape of oil at one end is prevented by the disk of the bushing 39 and at the other end bya snitable packing, (indicated at 77.)

From the description so far it will be readily understood that the elevator operator may by use of the ,rope or cable which passes around the wheel 6 0 control the direction of rotation of the shaft 3S or bring said shaft to rest and that when the latter is'done the brake operates automatically to check momentum or to hold the car against movement due to gravity.

The means for automatically stopping the carin the event of its meeting an obstruction, such as a hatch, in its downward path will now be described.

As hereinbefore stated, the mechanism is so constructed and arranged that the shaft 27 when rotating in the direction to lift the car causes the arms 34 to move in the direction of the arrow ain Fig, 9, said arms positively engaging the lugs 35 of the drum.

Vobstruction to the car.

When the shaft and arms are rotated in the otherdirection, the drum and its lugs 35 follow the arms 34, and as'long as the lugs and arms are in contact the power connections will be unaffected and movement will contiene; but should any hitch occur in the movement of the car, so as to cause a slight hesitation in the nnwinding movement of the drum, the arms 34 willslightly leave the lugs 35 and cause the throwing od of the power and the applica-tion of the brake through the following connections.

Referring mainly to Figs. 9 to l2, inclusive, one of the lugs 35has an extension or web 78, having an inclined or cam surface 79, and a pin 8O is mounted in the end of the adjacent arm 34. A lever Sl is rpivoted at 82 to a lug or lugs 83, projecting from said arm 34, and the pin 8O passes through an aperture in one end of said lever and is provided with a nut 84 on the outer side of the lever. The other end of the lever 8l passes through a slot in the side of shaft 27 (seealso Figs. 3 and 8) and enters another slotl formed in the inner end of a slide-rod 35, which is mounted in an axial bore in the shaft'27. A spring 36 between the end of rod 85 and the end of said axial bore tends to normally hold said rod S5 and the lever A8l in the positions shown in Figs.,3 and 8; butif the arms 34 leave the lugs 35 slightly the cam 79 pushes the pin 8O outward and the latter acts through the lever 8l to slide the rod 85 'in a direction in opposition to the spring 86. The rod 85 rotates with the shaft 27 and is provided at its outer end with a crown-ratchet S7, which when the rod has been moved, as just described, engages a pair of pawls S8, carried by the yoke 6l, and causes a slight move- IOO " ment of the said yoke and wheel 60 on the axis thereof, so as to actuate the link 57, le-

ver 55, and the clutch and brake-controlling rod 5l to release the power and apply the brake.

By referring to Figs. 3, 9, and 10 it will be observedV that I provide a spring S9, located between a fixed point 90 on the inner lwall of 'the drum and an ear 91 on the outer end of an arm 92, fixed to the shaft 27. The

spring 89 possesses no function when the car is being raised, but acts only after the car has been momentarily checked in its descent by an obstruction. `As hasl been heretofore stated, the Weight of the car exerted upon the rope which is engaged with the Winding- 'druxn operates to keep the lugs 35 in engagement with the arms 34 so long as there is no lVhen the car is obstrncted, it will be readily seen that the rope will be slackened, whereupon the spring acts by holding the winding-drum momentarily stationary, or, in other words, said spring takes up the slack of the rope by causing the drum to pause or rotate backwardly in the directionof arrow a, Fig. 9, according to the torsion of the spring, thus permitting arms 34, which are rotating, to move over the let-off or stopping motion, and although the windingdrum is loosely mounted on the shaft 27 such mounting is only for the purpose of permitting the slight relative movement to cause the cam 79 to act on the pin 80, and said drum has no further rotary movement relatively to the shaft. This is because when the shaft is rotated in one direction the fixed arms 34: engage the lugs 35 and positively rotate the drum with said'shaft, and when the shaft is rotated in the other direction if the lugs 35 fail to closely follow the arms 311 the cam 79 acts on pin 80 and causes the elevator to stop, as has been described, and immediately after such stoppage the spring 89 causes the lugs and arms to rengage and restores the shifted connections to normal position to enable the carto be started by the controllerrope, so as to be moved upward or downward when the obstruction has been removed.-

As has been mentioned, the slide-rod S5 rotates with the shaft 27. This is because of the inner end of lever 81 passing into a slot in said rod and also because of the mounting of the crown-ratchet, which will now be described. Referring to Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 18, the hub 93 of the crown-ratchet has a cross-bar 94C secured to it, as by screws 95, and the'end of the shaft 27 is slotted at 96 to receive said bar, the depth of the slot being sufficient to permit of the necessary movement of the bar and crown-ratchet to enable the latter to engage the pawls 88. The end of the rod 85 is reduced to form a shoulder 97, between which and a nut 9S on the end of the rod the bar 94 is clamped. As the bar 94 is secured to the hub of the crown-ratchet, the latter must move with the rod 85.

The pawls 88 have beveled ends and are yieldingly mounted to facilitate their proper engagement with the crown ratchet. As shown in Figs. 13, 15, and 16, the pawls are similar to latches and have shanks 99, fitting in sockets 100, formed in the yoke 6l, said shanks being surrounded by springs 101, confined between the bottoms of the sockets and the heads of the pawls. The head of each pawl is formed with a groove 102 in one side and a shoulder 103 at the inner end of the groove. A screw 104, tapped through the yoke, enters said groove and serves to prevent rotation of the pawl in the socket and to limit the outward position of the pawl.

In Figs. 8 and 13 means are illustrated for causing the automatic operation of the controller-wheel to stop the car at either limit prescribed forits travel. The portion of the shaft 27 within the yoke of the controllerwheel is screw-threaded, as at 105. A disk 10G, having its hub internally threaded to [it l the screw 105, has plates 107, bolted on its the disk and plates may be referred to as a nut adapted to travel along the shaft 27 as the latter rotates, said nut being held against rotation by the recessed arm 109, since the yoke has no movement of rotation other than the slight one necessary to reciprocate thelink 57. On the shaft 27, near each end of the space within the yoke 61, is a sleeve 111, adjustably secured on said shaft by a screw 112. The sleeves 111 are provided with lugs 113, adapted to be laterally engaged by one or the other of the lugs 108 of the traveling nut. In Fig. 13 the lug 108 at the right is in engagement with and conceals the corresponding lug of the sleeve at the right. Since the sleeves 111 rotate with the drum-shaft 27 and do not move longitudinally thereof, while the nut does not rotate with the shaft, but does travel along it when the elevator-drum is moving, it will be evident that when the lugs 108 113 contact the yoke and wheel will be slightly rotated and the elevator instantly checked. The point of travel of the elevator at which such automatic stoppage is to be effected is determined by the longitudinal position of the stop-sleeves 111 along the drum-shaft.

I claim- 1. An elevator mechanism of the character described comprising a rotary power-shaft,

means for drivingsaid shaft, a brake mounted on said shaft and rotatingl therewith, and means for automatically applying said brake when the driving' power is cut off.

2. An elevator mechanism of the character described comprising a rotary power-shaft, belt-Wheels mounted on said shaft and adapted to rotate in opposite directions, means whereby either wheel may be positively connected to rotate with said shaft, a drum operated by said shaft, a brake mounted on said shaft and rotating therewith, and means whereby said brake is automatically applied when both of said belt-wheels are disconnected from said shaft.

3. An elevator mechanism of the character described comprising a rotary power-shaft, belt-wheels loosely mounted on said shaft, means for clutching either of said Wheels to said shaft, a hub keyed to said shaft, brake mechanism carried by said hub and normally in inoperative condition when either pulley is clutched to the shaft, and means for simultaneously placing the brake in operative condition as both pulleys are disconnected from the shaft.

4. An apparatus for operating elevators comprising rotating mechanism for raising IOO IIO

IIS

and lowering a car or platform, and means carried by said mechanism and rotating therewith, whereby a check to the movement of said car or platform at any point of its downward travel will automatically cut off the power.

5. An apparatus for operating elevators comprising rotating mechanism for raising and lowering a car or platform, a brake, and

I means carried bysaid mechanism and rotating therewith, whereby a check to the movement of said car or platform at any point of its downward travel will automatically cut off the power and simultaneously apply the brake.

6. An elevator mechanism comprising a power-shaft, means for rotating the same, a

brake mounted on said shaft and rotating.

therewith, a drum operated by said shaft and adapted to raise and lower Aa car or platform, and means carried by said drum and rotating therewith wherebya check in the downward travel of said car or platform will automatically cut ed the power and simultaneously apply said brake.

7. An elevator mechanism comprising in its construction a shaft, two oppositely-rotatable. pulleys loose thereon, means for clutching either one of said pulleys to the shaft, a controller-wheel having a link rigidly secured thereto and projecting beyond its periphery, and a lever having one end pivoted to said link, the other end thereof being connected to the pulley-clutch mechanism, whereby either clutch may be thrown into or out of operation by a slightrotary movement of the controller-wheel.

8. An elevator mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating the same, a hub keyed to said shaft having radial arms, and a drum having a hub loosely mounted on said former hub, said drum having internal lugs lying in the path of movement of said radial arms.

9. An elevator mechanism comprising a driving-shaft having a rod mounted to slide therein, said rod having cam portions, pulleys mounted on said shaft and adapted to be driven in opposite directions, clutch mechanisms adapted to connect either of said pulleys with the shaft, pins for operating said clutch mechanisms and lying in the path of said cam'portions, a controller-wheel having a peripheral extension, and a link operatively connecting said extension and said rod.

l0. An elevator mechanism comprising a driving-shaft having a rod mounted to slide therein and provided with cam portions, pulleys mounted on said shaft and adapted to he driven in opposite directions, a clutch mechanism for each pulley constructed to be operated by said cam portions, a brake mounted to rotate with said shaft, and operatingcams for said brake controlled by said rod.

11. An elevator mechanism comprising a driving-shaft having arod mounted to slide therein and provided with cam portions, pulleys mounted on said shaft and adapted to be driven in opposite directions, a clutch mechanism for each pulley constructed to be operated bysaid cam portions, abrake mounted to rotate with said shaft, a cross-banconnected to said rod, and arms connected to said cross-bar and having cam portions for operating said brake.

12. An elevator mechanism of the character described, comprising a hollow main shaft having a rod provided with a iiattened intermediate portion, the ends of said flattened portion forming cams, pulleys loosely mounted on the shaft and having clutch mechanisms controlled by said cams, means connected with one end of said rod for shifting it in the shaft, a hub at the other end of the shaft, said hub having apertures parallel with the axis 'of the shaft, slide-rods in said apertures and having recesses, aV connection between said slide-rods and the rod in the drivingshaft, and brake-shoes adapted to be actuated by .the slide-rods in the hub of the shaft.

13. An elevator mechanism of the character described, comprising a shaft, a drum loosely mounted thereon, means whereby said shaft may positively rotate the drum in one direction, a controller-Wheel on said shaft, a

slide-rod located in the shaft and movable- `longitudinally thereof, means whereby the movement of said slide-rod in one direction will connect the controller-Wheelwith said shaft to cause the actuation of the controllerwheel, and means whereby a movement of the drum in a direction away from a positive connection with the shaft will cause said slide-rod to move to connect the shaft with the controller-wheel.

le. An elevator mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a hollow shaft, a drum mounted thereon, a rod mounted to slide longitudinally within said shaft, a lever extending through the shaft and rod, a pin connected with the outer end of the lever, a cam carried by the drum and adapted to actnate the lever and rod through the move- `nient of said pin, and means connected with said rod for controlling the movement of the elevator.

15. An elevator mechanism of the character described,comprising a hollow shaft, a

.drum mounted thereon, a rod mounted to slide longitudinally within said shaft, a lever extending through rthe shaftand rod, a pin connected with the outer end of the lever, a cam carried by the drum and adapted to actuate the lever and rod through the movement of said pin, and means connected with .said rod for controlling the movement of the elevator, said Vmeans comprising a crownratchet carried at the outer end of the rod and connected to rotate with the shaft, a controller-wheel having pawls adapted to beengaged by said ratchet, driving-pulleysand connections between them and the drumshaft, and means for controlling the operation of the pulleys by means of said controllerwheel.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. TORRANGE.A

Witnesses:

C. F, BROWN, A. W. HARRISON.

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